Easy, Feel Better, Chicken Soup
I had a roommate who was obsessed with chicken noodle soup (hi Han) and and she had me make it every time she (we) had the vodka soda flu.. which was fairly often. It started as my mom’s recipe and slowly turned into what I consider the ultimate hangover cure. It’s inexpensive, it’s yummy, and even though it takes two(ish) hours to make it’s low effort so you can just lay on the couch and complain your illness/hangover/Sunday Scaries away while it cooks.
This recipe also makes extra broth. Chicken. Broth. Is. Liquid. Gold. Save. It. As someone who is reluctantly dairy free, I cannot overstate how useful I find having extra broth around. I freeze it in 2 cup increments in quart bags for things like Quinoa, Spanish Rice, and all kinds of soups. It also makes extra chicken (I’ve essentially turned your hangover cure into meal prep, you’re welcome) that you can top your lunch salads with, or turn into Chicken Salad.
You can use whatever veggies you have on hand. You have kale but not spinach? Use it! You hate mushrooms? Skip them! You just want to eat broth over carbs? That’s great too!
Easy, Feel Better, Chicken Soup
Ingredients
4 chicken leg quarters, or thighs, or a whole chicken separated into parts 3-4lbs
6 carrots, 1/2 roughly chopped, 1/2 peeled and sliced
6 sticks of celery, 1/2 broken into thirds, half sliced
5 green onions, 3 roughly chopped, 2 thinly sliced white and light green parts
4 oz cremini mushrooms (about 5) thinly sliced
2 cups of spinach
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups of cooked rice (or noodles)
Kosher salt, black pepper, allspice
For the broth
Salt and pepper the chicken and brown it in an 8 qt stock pot, if it doesn’t all fit, brown the chicken in batches. Add the roughly chopped celery, carrots, garlic, green onions, and a tablespoon of kosher salt. Add water until your pot is about an inch from being full, for me this is between 18 and 20 cups, bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally and tasting as you go, salting (and peppering) to taste. It may seem like you’re using a TON of salt but don’t worry, I always feel like i’m putting an ungodly amount but it always turns out tasty. After an hour and a half to two hours the chicken should be floating to the top and falling off the bone, if you go longer than two, maybe two and a half hours the chicken will be a little TOO tender in my opinion, but to each their own. Strain the broth and debone the chicken, it should be very easy to do with your hands or a pair of tongs.
For the soup
Bring 8 cups of broth to a boil with the remaining carrots, celery, green onions, mushrooms, a pinch of allspice, and about 2 cups of the deboned chicken, shredded or chopped. reduce to a simmer and cook for around 10 minutes, until the veggies are tender. Add the spinach and let it wilt, about 2 minutes. Serve over your carb of choice.
